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Monday, 12 November 2012

Dedicated golfers still spending heavily

Two new surveys of the golf industry have found that dedicated golfers are still more than willing to spend heavily on their sport.Both polls found that at least three in four golfers have taken a non-domestic golf break over the past year.The research conducted by HowDidiDo reveals that 75 per cent of members of golf clubs have taken a foreign break in the last 12 months to play golf, while a staggering 47 per cent of golfers have booked three or more packages in that time. The survey indicates that even when money is tight, dedicated golfers are prepared to travel to different destinations to enjoy their sport – previous research has found that an average golf holiday costs the golfer £670. Given that they spend, on average, £705 to be a club member, this means that nearly half of golf club members are paying more than £2,500 per year on their golf, excluding all expenditure on equipment and other indirect costs.The results show that 83 per cent of nearly 1,200 golf club members revealed that their golfing breaks last three days or longer. More than a third of the golfing trips were destined for the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal triumphing as the most popular holiday destination.In addition, a survey, commissioned by Reed Travel Exhibitions, found that 79 per cent of regular golfers in the UK and Ireland took a non-domestic golf break over the past year. More than 85 per cent of golfers in Scandinavia and Germany had done the same, as did 70 per cent of French golfers.The poll found that British and Scandinavian golfers travel in the largest groups with the number of golfers per group averaging seven, compared to five in France and Germany.Barry Dyett, the managing director of HowDidiDo, stated: “Maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised, as all HowDidiDo members are members of a golf club, so, if they’re prepared to stump up the money for their annual membership, it’s no great shock to learn they don’t balk at paying for a trip.”Souce: Golf Club Management October 2012